Melbourne [Australia], August 12 : While her many international teammates are busy playing in the Women's The Hundred competition in UK, Australian all-rounder Tahlia McGrath feels that a hit-out for Australia A against India A is the perfect way to round off her preparations ahead of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup that commences on September 30.
With less than 50 days to go until the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 in India and Sri Lanka, McGrath will be joined in the 50-over Australia A series by Alyssa Healy, who is making her return from injury, as well as fellow contracted players Tess Flintoff, Darcie Brown and Kim Garth. The series against India, in India, the country hosting the marquee tournament, starts from Wednesday.
The decision to skip The Hundred allowed McGrath to remain in Australia through the winter in anticipation of a demanding schedule across the next year.
"It has been a really nice winter," McGrath told cricket.com.au as quoted by the ICC.
"It is the longest time off I have had in a number of years, so it was nice to go tools down for a bit, get a proper reset, proper refresh."
"It is been a really nice build-in to work on some things, to spend some time in Brissy (Brisbane) with the girls with some camps, and then finish off the pre-season with some Aus A games, which is in my eyes the perfect prep leading into a World Cup."
"I am still at home, I get to trial a few things, and it is in the 50-over format as well," she concluded.
The extended off-season has also provided McGrath time to adjust to her new role in Australia's ODI line-up.
Traditionally a number five batter, she shifted down to number seven last summer and it has been a role she has relished, whether finishing an innings with quick runs or anchoring a recovery.
Playing in the role, McGrath has shown her full potential to absorb pressure with the bat ahead of Australia's bid for an eighth Cricket World Cup title later this year.
She has 266 runs from 13 innings in that position with a highest score of 56* coming against India when the team was in a tricky situation at 174/5 in Perth last December.
Apart from her lower-order runs, her record reads 48 runs from four games at number four, 268 runs from 19 games as number five, 168 runs from eight games as number six, showing her capabilities to bat across positions, if needed.
"I am trying to be really deliberate in how I start my innings, and trying to pick the gaps a bit better, rather than just smoke my cover drives," McGrath noted.
"Try and be a bit more deliberate in getting off the mark and show a bit more intent with my scoring shots ... so it has been good to work on that and drill down on that and hopefully now see a bit of progress in the middle."
"I locked myself into No.7 at the backend of last year and enjoyed that role where I could come in and tee off most times I came in and we already had a really good score on the board, so I could just continue that momentum and help feed the strike to the batter at the other end, who was often flying."
"I really enjoyed that role, and I am looking to further propel how I approach that role."
The 29-year-old has thus far taken part in 46 ODIs, amassing 771 runs at 29.65 while playing down the order, in addition to chipping in with 25 wickets with her decent seamers. She has scored five fifties in 34 innings, with 74 being her best score.
As she prepares for the main event later this year, this time as vice-captain of the side, McGrath reflected fondly on her experiences from the Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in 2022, where she was still cementing her spot in the side.
McGrath had a decent outing through the tournament as Australia went on to claim the title, helping the side with 100 valuable runs from five outings with the bat, while also racking up five wickets with the ball.
"That (2022 tournament) was my favourite World Cup I have been a part of," she said.
"The extended time, playing every team, it is a proper challenge."
"So the fact that now I am in a leadership role and I have evolved my game a little bit in that way, I am really excited to play my part (in India) and hopefully be lifting another World Cup trophy the end of it," she concluded.
The tournament will see Aussies playing their campaign opener against New Zealand on October 1 in Indore.